RG2 Jan2010

RG 2 Edition 4 | January 2010
Accreditation for In-Service Inspection of

Pressure Systems/Equipment
CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
1 Introduction 2
2 Inspection Services 2
3 Personnel 3
4 Training 4
5 Inspection Methods & Procedures 4
6 Sub-Contracting 4
7 References 5
8 Appendix 1 7
9 Table 1 8
CHANGES SINCE LAST EDITION
Clause 3.6 has been amended to correct an error.
United Kingdom Accreditation Service, 21 -47 High Street, Feltham, Middlesex, TW13 4UN
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© United Kingdom Accreditation Service. UKAS Copyright exists in all UKAS publications.
PAGE 1 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

Accreditation for In -service Inspection of Pressure Systems/Equipment RG 2 | EDITION 4 | January 2010
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 This publication has been produced by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service
(UKAS) in conjunction with the UKAS Technical Advisory Committee for Engineering
Inspection. It provides guidance to those requirements in ISO/IEC 17020 General
criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection which need
interpretation when applied by Inspection Bodies carrying out in-service inspection of
pressure systems/pressure equipment. ISO/IEC 17020, as applied by UKAS in
accordance with IAF/ILAC-A4:2004, remains the authoritative publication in cases of
dispute or differences in interpretation.
1.2 The terms used in this publication have been drawn from ISO/IEC 17020 or defined
within this publication. Where specific terms are drawn from other documents, such
as the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR), reference is made to
those documents.
1.3 For the purposes of this publication the term Inspection Body shall be taken to mean
an accredited Inspection Body.
1.4 For the purposes of this document the term pressure system/pressure equipment can
also be taken to mean process systems/process equipment falling outwith PSSR.
1.5 Guidance for non destructive testing performed by an Inspection Body to support the
inspection of pressure systems/equipment is provided in UKAS publication RG 7
(Accreditation for Inspection Bodies Performing Non-Destructive Testing).
2 SCOPE - INSPECTION SERVICES COVERED BY RG2
2.1 This publication covers the accreditation of in-service inspection of equipment

operated under pressure or vacuum including all (mechanical, electrical and
electronic) protective devices. It excludes prime movers and driven machines.
2.2 Accreditation of Inspection Bodies that develop and certify written schemes of
examination for in-service inspection of pressure systems under PSSR or other
relevant legislation may also be covered by this publication for that specific scope.
2.3 The pressure systems referred to in this publication will form part of installed or
mobile plant including components that are temporarily attached to it and forming an
integral part of that operational entity.
2.4 The field of in-service inspection for which accreditation is granted may be described
in the accreditation schedule as major, intermediate, minor pressure systems as
defined in Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, Approved Code of Practice -
L122 or by specific reference to the equipment (eg boilers, autoclaves etc).
2.5 The following activities can be included in the scope of accreditation for Inspection
Bodies carrying out in-service inspections of pressure systems/equipment:
(a) Development and certification of written schemes of examination;
(b) Examination of equipment to detect actual and potential defects and making
judgements on the significance of such defects in the maintenance of fitness
for purpose;

(c) Reporting the result of the examination and to specify any remedial action
and/or recommendations;
(d) Commenting on the suitability of and any changes necessary to inspection

methods/written schemes of examination/safe operating limits.
3 PERSONNEL (ISO/IEC 17020 Clause 8)
3.1 The Inspection Body shall demonstrate that it has identified the competences
required to undertake the range of inspection activities covered by its scope of
accreditation and that it has processes in place to train, assess and monitor staff
against those competences. UKAS Publication RG 0 - Guidelines on the
Competence of Personnel Undertaking Engineering Inspections provides a
framework for a competence management system for inspection bodies. The
qualification categories in Appendix 1 of this publication may also be used to develop
competence criteria for inspection and supervision of inspection of pressure systems
/equipment.
3.2 The Inspection Body shall have sufficient number of permanent management
personnel with suitable experience in the design, manufacture, inspection, operation
or maintenance of pressure systems and their parts, and have the technical
knowledge to make professional judgements on the range of safety related problems
likely to arise from the accredited scope of inspection.
Such personnel shall be knowledgeable in the:
(a) Problems likely to arise from the declared processes or mechanical

conditions;
(b) Mechanical design standards for pressure equipment;
(c) Likely problems associated with various processes and fluids involved;
(d) Effects of operating conditions on the mechanical integrity of systems

including interactions with upstream and downstream plant;
(e) Relevant legislative requirements and associated codes of practice;
and
(f) Inspection techniques associated with pressure systems/equipment.
3.5 The Inspection Body shall only use staff to carry out inspections of pressure systems/
equipment that have the necessary competence for the inspections to be carried out.
The Inspection Body shall maintain records of qualifications, training and experience,
and records to show how, and when, each member of staff was issued authorisation
to perform specific examination and testing activities. These records shall, as a
minimum, indicate the type of pressure systems/equipment as defined in Table 1 in
Appendix 1 of this publication considered to be within the competence of the staff.
3.6 Where the Inspection Body personnel carry out calibration or specialised types of
testing (eg NDT or Metallurgical testing) in connection with the inspection of pressure
s ystems, records of their training, qualifications and experience shall be maintained.
The Inspection Body shall also record details of who is authorised to perform specific
calibrations or tests and to evaluate the results obtained.

4 TRAINING (ISO/IEC 17020 Clauses 8.2)
4.1 The training provided by the Inspection Body shall provide a working knowledge of
the plant, equipment and systems including design construction, oper ation,
maintenance, significance of defects, typical problem areas and associated method of
rectification.
4.2 The training shall include the safe conduct of the inspectors’ duties, in particular, safe
practices applicable to pressure systems such as proper isolation of pressurised
connections, certificates to enter confined spaces, permit to work systems, permit to
use naked lights and similar safe methods.
5 INSPECTION METHODS AND PROCEDURES (ISO/IEC 17020

Clauses 10.2, 10.3, 10.4)
5.1 The procedures and instructions used to develop/certify written schemes of

examinations and inspection of pressure systems/equipment shall detail how the
Inspection Body interprets and applies the appropriate regulations, codes of practice,
standards, guidance documents and customer requirements.
5.2 Where risk based inspection (RBI) techniques are used to establish the nature and
frequency of inspections, the Inspection Body shall document the techniques used in
procedures including a demonstrable justification for using the technique.
5.3 Reporting requirements including statutory requirements for reporting imminent

danger shall be detailed in procedures.
5.4 Codes, Standards and other technical literature applicable to the design, construction,
operation, inspection and repair of pressure systems and their components within the
accredited scope shall be maintained up to date and be readily available to the staff.
6 SUBCONTRACTING (ISO/IEC 17020 Clause 14)
6.1 Where the Inspection Body uses results of specialised testing techniques supplied by
other organisations (eg Subcontractors) for making judgements on the integrity of the
pressure system/equipment or for inclusion in inspection reports, the Inspection Body
shall be able to demonstrate the competence of the testing organisation.
6.2 Inspection Bodies should endeavour to use results supplied by organisations that
hold accreditation for those tests to ISO/IEC 17025 from an accreditation body that is
an ILAC MRA signatory (eg UKAS).
6.3 Where the subcontractor is not an accredited organisation, the Inspection Body shall
demonstrate that its subcontractors are competent in accordance with guidance
provided in section 14 of IAF/ILAC-A4:2004.

REFERENCES
This list is not exhaustive, but the main legislation, standards, specifications and trade
association codes pertinent to this document are listed below.
1 UK Legislation and Associated Codes of Practice and Guidance
 Statutory Instrument 2000 No 128 Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000
 Safety of Pressure Systems, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000,

Approved Code of Practice - L122
 Written Schemes of Examination, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 -

INDG 178
 Pressure Systems - Safety and You - INDG 261
 Automatically controlled steam and hot water boilers - PM5
 Steam boiler blowdown systems - PM 60
 Safe management of ammonia refrigeration systems - PM81
 Safety at autoclaves - PM73
 Safety in Pressure Testing GS4 (Third Edition)
 A guide to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 - L1
 A guide to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996. Guidance on Regulations -

L82
 Safe use of work equipment. PUWER 98. Approved Code of Practice and
Guidance - L22
 Approved Code of Practice, Safe work in confined spaces. Confined Spaces

Regulations 1997. Regulations and Guidance - L101
 Compressed Air Safety - HSG 39
2 Relevant EU Directives and Associated UK Legislation
 97/23/EC Pressure Equipment Directive
 Statutory Instrument 1999 No 2001 Pressure Equipment Regulations 1999
 87/404/EEC Simple Pressure Vessel Directive
 Statutory Instrument 1991 No 2749 Simple Pressure Vessels (Safety)

Regulations 1991
3 Standards and Related Documents
 BS EN ISO/IEC 17020, General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of

Bodies Performing Inspection
 IAF/ILAC-A4:2004, Guidance on the Application of ISO/IEC 17020

 BS EN ISO/IEC 17024, General requirements for bodies operating certification

of persons
 EN 473. Qualification and certification of NDT personnel
4 Industry Guidance/Publications
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG1 Pressure Systems: Guidelines

on Periodicity of Examinations
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG2 Guidelines for the Operation of

Steam Boilers
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG3 Guidelines for the Operation of

Hot Water Boilers
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG4 Guidelines for the Production of

Written Schemes of Examination and the Examination of Pressure Vessels
Incorporating Openings to Facilitate Ready Internal Access
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) SBG1 Shell Boilers: Guidelines for the
Examination of Shell-to Endplate and Furnace-to Endplate Welded Joints
 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) SBG2 Shell Boilers: Guidelines for the
Examination of Longitudinal Seams of Shell Boilers
 Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) Publication

159, Users’ Guide to the Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of Above Ground
Vertical Cylindrical Steel Storage Tanks

188, Guide for Establishing Operating Periods for Safety Valves

193, EEMUA Recommendations for the Training, Development and
Competency Assessment of Inspection Personnel

195, Compendium of EEMUA Information Sheets on Topics Related to
Pressure Containing Equipment
 Energy Institute/Institute of Petroleum, Part 12: Pressure vessel systems

examination
 Energy Institute/Institute of Petroleum, Part 13: Pressure piping systems

examination
 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Code of Practice 1, Bulk LPG Storage at Fixed

Installations: Part 3: Examination and Inspection
 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Code of Practice 14 Hoses for the Transfer of

LPG in Bulk. Installation, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance.
 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Technical Memorandum No.84: Inspection and

maintenance of LPG Pipework at Commercial and Industrial Premises
 British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA) Technical Report CP23

Application of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 to Industrial and
Medical Pressure Systems at User Premises

APPENDIX 1
Qualification categories:-
Category 1. Chartered Engineer as defined by the Engineering Council or equivalent

(eg appropriate degree with relevant experience, NVQ Level V Engineering) including
at least 3 years experience within an engineering discipline associated with in-service
inspection of pressure systems.
Category 2. Incorporated Engineer as defined by Engineering Council or equivalent

(eg appropriate HNC with relevant experience, NVQ Level IV Engineering) including
at least 5 years experience within a relevant engineering discipline of which at least
one year** shall have been spent working within an engineering discipline associated
with in-service inspection of pressure systems.
Category 3. Engineering Technician as defined by Engineering Council or equivalent

(eg appropriate ONC with relevant experience, NVQ Level III) having a minimum of 5
years experience within a relevant discipline of which at least one year shall have
been spent working within an engineering discipline associated with the in service
inspection of pressure systems or,
Category 4. Person trained* in a relevant engineering discipline with a recognised

and documented engineering apprenticeship with a minimum of 5 years experience
within a relevant discipline of which at least one year shall have been spent working
within an engineering discipline associated with the in-service inspection of pressure
systems.
Category 5. Person with less than tradesman's apprenticeship but with a minimum
of 5 years*** spent working with or within the industry associated with pressure
systems and has general knowledge of pressure systems and its operating
environment. Personnel shall be placed on recognised training courses with
appropriate documented tests in in-service inspection of pressure systems. The
minimum age for this Category is 21 years.
* Persons in Categories 4 and 5 shall pass a qualifying test, established by the

Inspection Body, associated with the particular inspection activities relating to
pressure systems/equipment and this should cover relevant knowledge of the law,
codes of practice and inspection techniques.
** Where a person meets the minimum requirement for a specific discipline and is to
be trained in a second discipline, it may not be necessary to have experience of at
least one year in the second discipline provided that the required competence can be
demonstrated.
***For some routine, well-monitored activities this period may not be necessary.

Table 1
Requirements for qualifications and supervision of inspectors performing inspection of

Pressure Systems
Pressure System Qualification Supervision Constraints
Category
Major systems 1 Occasional Inspection or associated activities in

(including steam) technology outside the field of competence
is prohibited except by formally
documented consultation.
2 Occasional The above constraint plus prohibition on

any non-routine repairs, modifications,
changes to operating parameters, changes
to inspection methods, calculations not
defined in recognised standards except
with specific approval by an appropriately
qualified person.
(eg Metallurgist, Designer, Process
Engineer)
3 Occasional Permitted only for testing and examination

to identify defects, within the limits
specified by Category 1 or 2 person. Any
decisions involving limits of acceptability,
repairs or modifications shall be approved
by authorised persons qualified to
Category 1 or 2.
Intermediate systems 1, 2, 3 Occasional Same constraints as for major systems

(excluding steam) stated above for respective categories.
4, 5 Frequent Permitted only for carrying out routine,

repetitive and well-defined examinations
on a specific range of storage installations.
Intermediate systems 1, 2, 3 Occasional Same constraints as for major systems

(steam only ) stated above for respective categories.
Minor systems 1, 2 Occasional Same constraints as for major systems

(excluding steam and stated above for respective categories.
pipelines)
3 Occasional Same constraint as for Category 2 person
stated above under major systems.
4 Frequent Same constraint as for category 3 persons

stated above under major pressure
systems.
5 Frequent Permitted only for carrying out routine,

repetitive and well-defined examinations
on a specific range of storage installations.
Minor systems 1, 2 Occasional Same constraints as for major systems

(steam only) stated above for respective categories.
3 Occasional Same constraint as for Category 2 person

stated above under major systems.

4 Frequent Same constraint as for Category 3 persons

stated above under major pressure
systems.
Definition of supervision
Occasional - Formal, direct contact to review work with Supervisor at least annually. More
frequent direct contact with Supervisor may be necessary. Authoritative technical
support from personnel qualified to Category 1 or 2 to be readily available. For
example, an Inspector working from home who has little direct contact with his Head
Office.
Frequent - Direct contact with Supervisor at least weekly. Authoritative technical support from
personnel qualified to Category 1, 2 or 3. For example, an Inspector whose work is
based from a depot or office where the Supervisor is available.
Definition of Pressure Systems - Definitions of major, intermediate and minor pressure

systems are given in HSE's Approved Code of Practice Reference L122, which
accompanies PSSR.

RG2 Jan2010

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RG 2 Edition 4 | January 2010

Accreditation for In-Service Inspection of

CHANGES SINCE LAST EDITION

Clause 3.6 has been amended to correct an error.

PAGE 1 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

2 SCOPE - INSPECTION SERVICES COVERED BY RG2

2.1 This publication covers the accreditation of in-service inspection of equipment

(a) Development and certification of written schemes of examination;

PAGE 2 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

(d) Commenting on the suitability of and any changes necessary to inspection

3 PERSONNEL (ISO/IEC 17020 Clause 8)

Such personnel shall be knowledgeable in the:

(a) Problems likely to arise from the declared processes or mechanical

(b) Mechanical design standards for pressure equipment;

(d) Effects of operating conditions on the mechanical integrity of systems

(e) Relevant legislative requirements and associated codes of practice;

(f) Inspection techniques associated with pressure systems/equipment.

PAGE 3 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

4 TRAINING (ISO/IEC 17020 Clauses 8.2)

5 INSPECTION METHODS AND PROCEDURES (ISO/IEC 17020

5.1 The procedures and instructions used to develop/certify written schemes of

5.3 Reporting requirements including statutory requirements for reporting imminent

6 SUBCONTRACTING (ISO/IEC 17020 Clause 14)

PAGE 4 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

1 UK Legislation and Associated Codes of Practice and Guidance

 Statutory Instrument 2000 No 128 Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000

 Safety of Pressure Systems, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000,

 Written Schemes of Examination, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 -

 Pressure Systems - Safety and You - INDG 261

 Automatically controlled steam and hot water boilers - PM5

 Steam boiler blowdown systems - PM 60

 Safe management of ammonia refrigeration systems - PM81

 Safety at autoclaves - PM73

 Safety in Pressure Testing GS4 (Third Edition)

 A guide to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 - L1

 A guide to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996. Guidance on Regulations -

 Approved Code of Practice, Safe work in confined spaces. Confined Spaces

 Compressed Air Safety - HSG 39

2 Relevant EU Directives and Associated UK Legislation

 97/23/EC Pressure Equipment Directive

 Statutory Instrument 1999 No 2001 Pressure Equipment Regulations 1999

 87/404/EEC Simple Pressure Vessel Directive

 Statutory Instrument 1991 No 2749 Simple Pressure Vessels (Safety)

3 Standards and Related Documents

 BS EN ISO/IEC 17020, General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of

 IAF/ILAC-A4:2004, Guidance on the Application of ISO/IEC 17020

PAGE 5 OF 9 EDITION 4 | January 2010

 BS EN ISO/IEC 17024, General requirements for bodies operating certification

 EN 473. Qualification and certification of NDT personnel

 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG1 Pressure Systems: Guidelines

 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG2 Guidelines for the Operation of

 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG3 Guidelines for the Operation of

 Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) PSG4 Guidelines for the Production of

 Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) Publication

 Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) Publication

 Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) Publication

 Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association (EEMUA) Publication

 Energy Institute/Institute of Petroleum, Part 12: Pressure vessel systems

 Energy Institute/Institute of Petroleum, Part 13: Pressure piping systems

 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Code of Practice 1, Bulk LPG Storage at Fixed

 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Code of Practice 14 Hoses for the Transfer of

 LP Gas Association (LPGA), Technical Memorandum No.84: Inspection and